Editor’s Note: On this December 24, 2023, when Christians are unable to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, because of the violence in the West Bank and Gaza, these are the final two presentations in our series of statements delivered to Taos elected officials in support of Representatives Bush/Tlaib’s House Resolution 786 calling for deescalation and an immediate ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.
Yoursra Morningstar’s comment was submitted by email to the Taos Town Council on December 12.
Lizzie Nutig’s statement was made at the joint meeting of the Town Council and County Commission on December 7. Since this statement was written on Dec. 7, Congresswomen Leger Fernandez denounced Islamophobia in her November 19 press release calling for a temporary ceasefire. The statement has also been updated to reflect more recent numbers of killed, injured, and displaced Palestinians.
Hello my name is Yousra Morningstar.
I want to first thank all of you for being here today and hearing us. Your consideration on the very painful topic of the continuing loss of life in Palestine and Israel is a concern to all and I am proud to know members of my town take this seriously. We all want the end of unnecessary deaths, something many of us struggle with in our own lineages and the pain it leaves behind for generations. I appreciate the reminder in the resolution of our placement, influence and power as entities within the United States government to make polices within the UN to support freedom of life and protection of it. And all of you sitting here before me hold more power in that than I. I am humbled.
In my culture we have some deep beliefs about all men being our brethren and it is our job to make peace with them. We also have a saying in our culture of Ra bi’ayni qualbik, meaning, “May you see not only with your eyes on your head, but also the eyes of your heart.” The following statements and words come from my dear heart friend, Rami. We want to help you see how these actions are destroying the average citizen who just wants to live in peace, work, raise families, and laugh again.
Rami and his ancestors date back to the Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, the Islamic era of 12th century 12 AD. The Gaza Strip is not their original place in Palestine, because in 1948 during the Nakba his family was displaced from their ancestral area of Beersheba. Even with this history they have no desire for war or issues with anyone. Rami left his home that he owned. It was next door to his father and sisters, brothers, and cousins, all residing in the same area. They were a happy family, always smiling, making jokes, and hard working. Rami worked hard as a taxi driver. A bomb took out the house next door making his own uninhabitable. The following are his words:
“My father reluctantly agreed to let me take shelter in Rafah, 7 kilometers away, so as to not be too many in one home. I did not know I would be gone so long. Nor did we understand once I left I’d not be able to return, as the road has been destroyed and soldiers are too full in the streets for walking. I did try to reach them this way, and nearly lost my life for the uncounted time. I miss my family terribly. It’s been 2 months. We speak when there is availability of connection. In this time I have been hit with shrapnel in the head resulting in serious injury. I’ve lost 7 family members, many who were children. I want to know that the remaining ones can live in peace and security, that we can rebuild our lives, and live in peace as every human should be allowed. I did not want this war, not any of it, and still the price is mine to carry. For all whom remain alive, I had been working day and night since 2014 on my home, creating a place of beauty for me, trying to create a life, though the whole of my existence has been one of war. I’ve never known such loss. I hope my beautiful city will be repaired and medical treatments restored. I don’t hold hope of seeing it because every night the sounds of bombing are in my ears and I live in fear. I ask though, if this is about Hamas, why are myself and my innocent family and children paying this price, something we did not ask for? We do not want it. We want a peaceful solution. We want to live in peace. We do not want war or fear. The children are not to blame for this. They want us to live in peace and quiet. We do not want destruction. After that, enough wars! Please see us as humans deserving of life and assistance! Rami”
On a personal note I’d like to add that myself and Rami, like everyone who have people in Gaza they care for, have said our good byes and made arrangements about what to do if I do not hear from him. Our agreement is after 3 days, I’m allowed to begin grieving We have people in the shelter made aware that I am to be notified if he is, God forbid, killed or something happens. Each time the internet is cut I wait preparing myself for the worst. And each night as the bombs drop he too prepares for his death. I beg you council members to stand in the courage that Taos is known for historically, add your voice to the strong requests of a ceasefire, and save what lives we can from anymore unnecessary deaths. Thank you so very much. And again I pray you can see with the eyes on your face and of your heart. You hold part of the key to saving so many Ra bi’ayni qualbik.
By Lizzie Nutig
I’m here in support of Palestinian Liberation. First I wanted to acknowledge that I am Jewish. I grew up going to Hebrew School and celebrating the Jewish holidays and my house was kosher growing up. I mention my Jewish identity since I know the reasoning behind the refusal to call for a ceasefire by politicians has been to protect Israel, which is commonly mis-conceptualized as protecting Jewish people. I’ve seen Teresa Ledger Fernandez talk about the rise in antisemitism, which she is using as a justification against calling for a ceasefire. I have not seen her talk about the rise in Islamophobia or anti-Arab sentiment at all. The centering of American Jewish people’s feelings, the majority of whom are white, when 20,000 Palestinians have been murdered by the state of Israel in the last two months, 50,000 have been injured and 2 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes, is a form of dehumanizing Arab people and it is practicing violent white supremacy. This is what white supremacy is. If we want to talk about antisemitism we can talk about how Israel’s use of Judaism to justify a literal genocide is antisemitic, and how Israel and Zionists have used Judaism to justify the violent displacement and imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians over the last 70+ years is antisemitic. That’s why Jews across the world shout “Not in Our Name,” because the use of Judaism to justify violence, oppression, genocide, white supremacy, and settler colonialism is antisemitic. You cannot justify Israel bombing Gaza; you can watch videos of Israelis going to the movies and picking pomegranates and living normal lives, and you can see pictures of the whole Gaza strip in rubble and 21 hospitals and 275 schools in Gaza damaged and out of service and people who are running out of places to go. So when I hear of politicians refusing to call for a ceasefire, while knowing that with each day that passes, Palestinians are being murdered by the hundreds, I know that these politicians do not care about anyone and have more than blood on their hands, they have a genocide on their hands.
In 2022, Teresa Leger Fernandez accepted nearly $44,000 dollars from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Since Oct. 7 she has signed on to Pro Zionist Israel Resolutions, HR 771: “Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists” and HR 888: “Reaffirming the State of Israel’s right to exist,” while abstaining from HR 894: “Strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world.”
That is why she hasn’t called for a ceasefire. It is not about protection of anyone. And as a Jewish person, seeing her justification for signing onto House Resolution 771, which “stands with Israel’s right to defend itself,” asserting that she is protecting Jewish people is utterly disgusting and untrue. No one is free unless everyone is free. Do not justify a genocide with Judaism. We must mobilize to fight for Palestinian Liberation and use this as a lesson for all of us everywhere, that the Settler State is not safe for anyone.
Notes:
Congresswoman Leger Fernandez statements on Israel war.
In a Dec. 12 Press release Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez called for a negotiated ceasefire: Leger Fernández Renews Calls for a Negotiated Ceasefire in Gaza:
“Today, I once again call for a negotiated ceasefire consistent with my earlier statement of November 19, 2023.”
Her assertion, “consistent with my earlier statement” is disingenuous because she did not call for a negotiated ceasefire on Nov. 19 but a temporary ceasefire, which is what they started calling it when temporary “humanitarian pause” garnered so much criticism. “I support the Biden Administration’s work to achieve a multilateral temporary ceasefire.” https://fernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-leger-fernandez-statement-ceasefire-negotiations
Nov. 19 Press Release: REP. LEGER FERNÁNDEZ STATEMENT ON CEASEFIRE NEGOTIATIONS
“I support the Biden Administration’s work to achieve a multilateral temporary ceasefire..”
In a press release on Oct 27, Rep Leger Fernandez called for a temporary humanitarian pause.
“I call for a humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.”
In a tweet on Oct 7, Rep Fernandez stated her condemnation of Hamas and Israel’s right to defend itself.
“The terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians are incredibly disturbing. I strongly condemn Hamas’ actions. Israel has a right to defend itself against these acts of terror and my thoughts are with the Israeli people.”
La Jicarita 
Thank you for these wonderful testimonies and for standing up against US funding of this horrific genocide.
Kudos to you, Kay, for publishing these heart- wrenching and trenchant expressions of protest against the Zionist genocide of Palestinians.
Israel is a Zionist ethno- state. Judaism is a religion. Conflating the two is erroneous and dangerous. The result is genocide in Gaza and increasing anti semitism, globally.
The U.S. policy of unqualified political and military support for the Israeli/ Zionist state, and Rep. Ledger Fernandez complicity, have produced and continue to sustain genocide of Palestinians.